Ch. 60 A Somber Warning
2 Timothy 3:5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
Someone who has a form of godliness is someone who wants to appear to be a good person, appear to be “religious” but they deny the power of true godliness; they deny Jesus Christ. They deny that Jesus Christ is God in human flesh, or they deny that salvation is only possible through trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. But what about people who seem to believe in most if not all Christian doctrines? Could they be counterfeit Christians? Is it possible that someone can call Jesus Lord but in reality, only have a form of godliness? Well, yes, it is. Jesus said that it is in fact the case:
Matthew 7:15–23
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
Parable of Ten Virgins
Jesus Christ taught a parable about ten virgins.
Matthew 25:1–13
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 “Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.
3 “For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,
4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.
5 “Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.
6 “But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’
7 “Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.
8 “The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
9 “But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.
11 “Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’
12 “But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
How can you tell a wise virgin from an unwise virgin? How can you tell a true Christian from a counterfeit Christian? Jesus told us in the first passage I quoted in this chapter in verses 20 and 21:
Matthew 7:20–21
20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
To determine if you are a wise or unwise virgin, you need to honestly look at your fruit. Jesus said,
“
you will know them by their fruits”.
What is the fruit of your life? Have you expanded the kingdom of Jesus Christ by
witnessing the truth of the gospel to others? Have you supported Christian missionaries?
Some people say, “Well, I may not tell them the gospel, but I try to let my life do the talking”.
But if you ask the people they have lived in front of, if they know that person is a Christian, then
I bet most people would say they had no idea the person is a Christian.
Faith comes by hearing.
You need to tell people the gospel for them to believe. You cannot just let your life speak. Y
ou need to tell people the gospel:
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
So, what is the somber warning? Don’t play the hypocrite. Is there any hidden sin in your life? What is the fruit of your life? Are you doing the will of God the Father? Do you live the exchanged life? Are you letting Jesus Christ live through you every day?